Test tube rack



April 1968 s. M. BROADWIN 3,379,315

TEST TUBE RACK Filed April 7, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENIORV.

5 H 15 22 Samoa M- 5eo4owv Arrow/67 United States Patent 3,379,315 TESTTUBE RACK Samuel M. Broadwin, New York, N.Y., assignor to MarylandPiastics Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Maryland FiledApr. 7, 1966, Ser. No. 540,965 6 Claims. (Cl. 21172) ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE The present invention is directed to a collapsible test tuberack which comprises top, bottom and side walls. Each of these wallshave test tube openings therein of different sizes. An intermediatesupport place is interposed between the top and the bottom wall. Supportmeans, in the form of openings or depressions, are formed in saidintermediate plate in order to act as a support for test tubes in theopenings in the top and bottom Walls. The openings in the opposite sidewalls are offset from each other and support means are provided on eachside wall to support test tubes inserted into the openings in theopposite side wall.

The present invention relates to improved test tube racks and moreparticularly to an improved test tube rack which can receive test tubesof different sizes.

In the past test tube racks have been used to receive test tubes of oneor two sizes. Hence a plurality of such test tube racks are required inorder to hold the variety of test tube sizes which are generally used inlaboratories. Such test tube racks do not lend themselves to stackingduring storage and in addition take up a large amount of space instorage areas such as incubators and refrigerators. Furthermore, thetest tubes which are presently in use tend to tip over easily and hencecause spillage.

The present invention avoids these drawbacks and has for one of itsobjects the provision of an improved rack for holding a number of testtubes of different sizes.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of an improvedstorage rack for test tubes which is adapted to permit the racks to bestored on top of each other.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of an improvedtest tube storage rack in which the possibility of tipping is minimized.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of an improvedtest tube storage rack whereby means are provided for preventingcontamination of test tubes during storage.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of an improvedtest tube storage rack which can be manufactured from flat sheets andshipped or stored in knock-down manner so as to save storage and mailingcosts.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of an improvedtest tube storage rack which is simple to manufacture.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be obvious uponan understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described,or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages notreferred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employmentof the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes ofillustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawings,forming a part f the specification wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the test tube storage rack in assembledposition;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing the parts used to form the test tubestorage rack;

3,379,315 Patented Apr. 23, 1968 FIG. 3 is a fragmentary top viewthereof broken away;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side view partly broken away;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing the test tube storage rack inposition to accommodate a test tube of one size;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing the test tube storage rack inposition to accommodate another size test tube; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional View showing the test tube storage rack inposition to accommodate a test tube of still another size.

Referring to the drawings, the test tube storage rack 1 of the presentinvention comprises a top wall 2, bottom wall 3, side walls 4 and 5 anda support panel 6 interposed between the top and bottom walls 2 and 3.It will be understood that the walls 2, 3, 4 and 5 are termed top,bottom and side walls herein is only with reference to the position ofthe test tube rack as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings. In actual use theposition of the walls will change depending on which side of the testtube storage rack is being used. The walls of the test tube storage rackmay be formed from any suitable sheet material, such as a plastic.

The top, bottom and side walls 2, 3, 4 and 5 have ears 10, 11, 12 and13, respectively, extending therefrom. Slots 14 are provided adjacentthe ears 10 of the top wall 2 adapted to receive upper cars 12 and 13 ofthe side walls 4 and S and slot 15 are provided adjacent the ears 11 ofthe bottom wall 3 adapted to receive lower ears 12 and 13 of side walls4 and S. The central support panel 6 is provided with cars 16 and 17adapted to fit into slots 18 and 19 in the side walls 4 and 5,respectively.

Each of the top, bottom and side walls is provided with a plurality ofopenings of different sizes to accommodate test tubes of differentsizes.

Hence the top wall 2 is provided with a plurality of openings 20 of aparticular size to accommodate a test tube 21 of one size and the bottomwall 3 is provided with a plurality of openings 22 of a different sizeto receive test tubes 23 of different size. The side walls 4 and 5 arealso provided with openings 24 and 25, respectively, of different sizesso that a test tube 26 of one size can be inserted in opening 25 and atest tube (not shown) of a different size is inserted into the opening24.

The openings 24 and 25' of opposite side walls 4 and 5 are offset withrespect to each other so that opposite walls act as a support for thetest tubes. Immediately opposite the openings in the walls are aplurality of support means, such as indentations, grooves, openings orthe like which support the bottoms of the test tubes.

Thus indentations 30 are positioned opposite openings 25 to support thebottom of test tube 26. Similarly, opposite the openings 24 in the otherside wall 4 there are also provided a plurality of supportingindentations 31. The support panel 6 which is intermediate the top andbottom walls is provided with a plurality of support openings 32a and32b. The support openings 32a are op posite the openings 20 in the topwall and the support openings 3212 are opposite the openings 21 in thebottom wall.

It will be understood that while the support means 30, 31, 32a and 32bare shown in the form of grooves and/or openings it is Within thepurview of the present invention to utilize any other support means andto interchange the grooves and openings shown in the drawings.

With this structure, as shown in FIG. 5, by placing the top wall 2uppermost, a test tube 21 of a particular size may be accommodated.However in FIG. 6 by placing the bottom wall 31 uppermost, a test tube 23 of another size may be accommodated. Furthermore, by placing one ofthe side walls uppermost, test tubes of still other sizes may beaccommodated as shown in FIG. 7. Hence it will be 3 seen that thepresent test tube rack is versatile and can accommodate test tubes ofditlerent sizes by merely turning the particular side uppermost.

Furthermore, by using a cover 46 which may be made of a similarmaterial, such as plastic, as shown in FIG .7, the test tubes areprotected from contamination.

Furthermore, in view of the interlock relationship between the parts aplurality of these test tube racks may easily be stacked one on top ofanother as shown schematically in FIG. 7. In addition the side walls 2,3, 4, 5 and 6 may be made from fiat sheets of material or they may beformed in a plastic machine as fiat sheets with openings, grooves, slotsand tongues therein. In this position they may be shipped to thelaboratory and there, laboratories may assemble the sheets into the formshown in the drawings. Moreover, the rack can be easily stored inknock-down fashion until it is to be used.

When it is desired to use a particular size test tube then theparticular side which has opening to accommodate that particular sizetest tube, is placed uppermost and a test tube inserted therein. If thebottom or top walls 2 and 3 is used then the inner panel 6 is used tosupport the bottom of the test tube as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. It theside walls 4 or 5 is used then the support grooves 30 and 31 are used tosupport the bottom of the test tube.

It will thus be seen that the present invention provides an improvedtest tube storage rack which is very versatile, which can hold a numberof test tubes of different sizes and which may easily be stacked on topof each other.

. The present invention also provides a rack in which typing isminimized and which can be stored or shipped in knock-down fashion toconserve space and save shipping costs.

It will be understood that the present invention is also adapted toaccommodate items other than test tubes and the application has beendescribed in connection with a test tube for convenience. However itwill be understood that wherever the expression test tube is to be used,it is intended to cover items other than test tubes.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangementof the parts herein without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to beunderstood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrativeand not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A test tube rack comprising opposed top and bottom walls and opposedside walls, an intermediate support plate interposed between said topand bottom walls, said support plate and said top, bottom and side wallshaving interfitting ears and slots to permit easily removable assemblythereof, said top wall having a plurality of test tube-receivingopenings, said bottom wall having a plurality of test tube-receivingopenings, support means on said intermediate support plate opposite theopenings in the top and bottom walls and in alignment therewith in orderto support the bottoms of the test tubes mounted in the openings in thetop and bottom walls.

2. A test tube rack as claimed in claim 1 wherein the support means insaid support plate are openings therein.

3. A test tube rack comprising opposed top and bottom walls and opposedside walls, said top, bottom and side walls having interfitting ears andslots to permit easily removable assembly thereof, test tube-receivingopenings in said opposed side walls, the openings in one of said sidewalls being offset from the opening in the opposite side wall, supportmeans in said first mentioned side Wall in alignment with the openingsin the opposite side wall to support test tubes mounted. in openings insaid opposite side walls and support means in said opposite side wall inalignment with the openings in the first side wall adapted to supporttest tubes mounted in openings in said first side wall.

4. A test tube rack as claimed in claim 3 wherein the support means insaid side walls comprise indentations therein.

5. A test tube rack comprising opposed top and bottom walls and opposedside walls, an intermediate support plate interposed between said topand bottom walls, said support plate and said top, bottom and side wallshaving interfitting ears and slots to permit assembly thereof, said topwall having a plurality of test tube-receiving openings, said bottomwall having a plurality of test tube-receiving openings, support meanson said intermediate support plate opposite the openings in the top andbottom walls and in alignment therewith in order to support the bottomsof the test tubes mounted in the openings in the top and bottom walls,test tube-receiving openings in said opposed side walls, the openings inone of said side walls offset from the openings in the opposite sideWall, support means in said first mentioned side wall in alignment withthe openings in the opposite side wall to support test tubes mounted insaid opposite side Walls, and support means in said opposite side wallin alignment with the openings in the first side wall adapted to supporttest tubes mounted in said first side wall.

6. A test tube rack as claimed in claim 5 wherein the support means insaid support plate are openings therein and the support means in saidside walls comprise indentations therein.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,188,146 6/1916 Bogley 211741,270,095 6/1918 Baehr 211-74 2,046,864 7/1936 Baker.

2,568,677 9/1951 Adelson 211-72 3,142,385 7/1964 Kahlenberg 21174 ROY D.FRAZIER, Primary Examiner.

K. I. WINGERT, Assistant Examiner.

